A few days ago, I asked my sous chef what he might want for dinner. Normally, when I do that, I have a couple options in mind and plan to make both in the near future…essentially, I’m a big fan of “Illusion of Choice.” In this case, I left the question wide open (like Gabriel Davis was all day in the Bills/Chiefs playoff game), and after a minute of pondering, he asked for Spaghetti and Meatballs. Once his decision was made, I challenged him with, “Okay…how are we going to add veggies to it?” Without hesitation, he said, “Let’s infuse it with mushrooms.”
That left me thinking, “Now, we got a concept!” So, I did some digging in the old memory bank and recalleded when we made Mushroom Tuna Cakes last Autumn. From there, its was just a hop, skip, and a jump to mushroom infused meatballs! When all was said and done, he was very happy with his choice.
The recipe below focuses mainly on the meatballs themselves, as they can be used in a huge variety of ways once cooked. True to the actual entree choice made though, we coated our meatballs in simmering sauce (spinach infused, at my own whim), served over spaghetti, and topped with shredded mozzarella!
Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 4-8 White Mushrooms (depending on their size)
- 2 Eggs
- Garlic
- Parmesan Cheese
- Bread Crumbs
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with some aluminum foil, and give it a quick oil spray.
- Dice your mushrooms, and mince them in the food processor.
- Peel and mince your garlic.
- Combine all of your ingredients into a large bowl (including the minced mushrooms).
- Mash it all together by hand to fully incorporate.
- Form your meat/mushroom mixture into balls, and place them on your baking sheet.
- When all the balls are formed, transfer your baking sheet to the oven, and cook for 9-12 minutes (depending on the size of your meatballs).
- Rotate each meatball so the top now faces down, and cook for another 9-12 minutes until they reach an internal cooked temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Your meatballs are now ready for use!
- Eat them plain as a snack.
- Heat some tomato sauce in a pan, and add your meatballs to it to coat and serve over pasta or in a meatball sub.
- Slice them thinly, and use them as a pizza topping.
- Eat them in any other ways imagine (I think that’s a broad enough statement to cover all my bases).
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